


Take a Ride With Me

by notnowcommander



Series: Two and a Half Steps [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Multi, road trip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 11:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notnowcommander/pseuds/notnowcommander
Summary: Instead of taking the easy way to get to a fitness expo, the gang decides the best option is CLEARLY a road trip. Hilarity, debauchery, and cuteness ensues.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DustieRhoades](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustieRhoades/gifts).



> It feels like forever ago that I did my 4k follower giveaway on tumblr, and DustieRhoades had won the big ol' 5k prize. She'd requested a road trip fic with the Two and a Half Steps gang, and for the sake of flexibility and avoiding spoilers for the end, I asked if I could wait to share it until after the main story was complete.
> 
> She's been so patient and wonderful about it, and has also been such a great support system and friend throughout the entire Two and a Half Steps process (and everything else), and I am so happy to have been able to write this fic for her!
> 
> Enjoy!

 

“No,” Kaidan objected… rather vehemently. 

“Come on,” Shepard argued. “It won’t be that bad.”

“I’m not going to a body building conference, or whatever. Do you know what they’ll do to me there?”

Shepard crossed her arms. “It’s not a body building conference. It’s a fitness expo. Gym owners from the region are going to be there and Anderson wants to expand the Alliance Gym from a single location to a franchise, _so…_ ”

Kaidan sighed. “But why do _I_ have to be there? I’ve come to work out like three times in the past year.”

She stood up from sitting on the edge of his bed and slid her arms around his shoulders. “Well, because…”

“Because?” he said, letting his lips hover just near hers. “Because isn’t a good reason, Shepard. Come on. I’m going to look like some kind of twerp next to all these buff guys. They’re going to look at you, and James and be like ‘huh, why’s she with him?’.”

She cupped his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “Oh, so that’s what you’re worried about?”

He shrugged. “Well, what am I supposed to tell people when they try to talk to me? No, I’m an engineer, and I ate the free ramen at my office for lunch three times this week, and I don’t even own ankle weights.”

She pulled him into a tender kiss, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. She slowly pulled away and touched her forehead to his.

“It’s okay. We’ll find you a nice button down that makes your biceps look nice, and nobody will ask you any questions.”

He groaned.

“And,” she added, “you wouldn’t be the only non-fitness person there. Ash and Miranda are going.”

“Ash and Miranda? Why?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

“Well, Miranda’s going with James, and Ashley thought it would make a fun road trip if we went as a group and stopped places along the way. She’d never driven the route before, and thought it might be nice.”

Kaidan raised his eyebrows. “Oh… I see. You’re not really asking me to come to the conference. You’re asking me to go on a road trip, aren’t you?”

“Partially.”

“Five of us, in one car together? Really?”

She sighed. “I know it sounds like a lot.”

“Yeah.”

“But… it could also be really fun. And besides, I want to you know… show you off a little bit. I don’t get enough chances to show everyone how handsome and sweet and smart my boyfriend is.”

He blushed and bit down on his lip. “Uh huh.”

“And you look so sexy dressed up.”

Kaidan leaned in again, his lips hovering just against hers. Their lips brushed gently, and sent a shiver down her spine, waiting for the kiss.

“Okay, _now_ you’re just flattering me to get me to go on a road trip with you guys.”

“Is it working?”

He smirked. “ _No_ way.”

 

****

 

**Day 1, too early:**

 

“Shotgun!”

Shepard looked up as Ashley stepped out of James’ apartment, her overstuffed duffle bag swung over her shoulder, stumbling toward the car. Shepard turned beside her to Kaidan, who was leaning against the trunk of their tiny ride, looking rather unamused. 

“You gonna fight her for that?”

He nodded. “Oh definitely. Just gonna wait until she gets a little close-.”

As Ashley moved toward the car, Kaidan darted forward, grabbing the handle of the passenger seat and getting into the car.

“Hey!” Ashley shouted, yanking the door back open. “Get out of there! I _called_ it!”

“I have the longest legs, you need to let me have shotgun for the first few hours, please,” Kaidan argued.

“No! I don’t care how long your legs are. You’re going in the back.”

“Please?”

“You didn’t call it!”

“I didn’t think I had to! I thought you guys would be like… courteous or something to the tall people.”

Ashley crossed her arms. “You’re really making it hard to believe you’re thirty right now.”

He cringed. “Ugh don’t _say_ it.”

Shepard smiled and headed over to the passenger side of the car. Kaidan glanced up at her.

“Tell her I should have shotgun,” he said.

“Oh no, I’m not getting between this one. You guys can fight it out like big kids. Just… keep it clean.”

“Hey!” James shouted from the doorway. “I don’t care who sits shotgun as long as you don’t get us all lost.”

“Who’s a better navigator?”

“Me,” Kaidan asserted.

Shepard snorted. He looked up and frowned. Ashley looked down and glared at him. Kaidan grumbled and climbed out of the front seat, sliding into the back with Shepard. Ashley hopped into the front seat and pulled the seat up so that Kaidan at least had a little bit of room. Shepard tilted his head to face her and pressed a kiss to his forehead. 

Miranda and James rounded out the group, carrying their bags and shoving them in the trunk.

“The apartment door locked?”

James nodded. “Of course.”

“Go check,” she said.

“It’s locked, Miranda. I swear.”

She raised her eyebrows and slid into the back seat with the three of them. Shepard looked up at James and nodded toward the door. He went and checked the lock on the front door, which popped open and he frowned.

“He’d die without me, wouldn’t he?” Miranda said.

“Yeah, he’s doomed,” Ashley responded.

James moved back to the car and slid into the driver’s seat. Ashley had pulled up directions to their first stop of the trek, and stuck it on James’ dashboard clip.

“Alright,” he said. “Who’s ready to roll?”

 

***

The car ride hadn’t been as bad as Kaidan was expecting. He’d spent long periods of time in the car with Ashley, and usually it was miserable. She sang every song on the radio, was generally impatient, and almost always had to pee. However, today, she’d been subdued, and slept for part of the way. 

It hadn’t helped Kaidan being stuck in the back seat, and Shepard napping on him, and his legs falling asleep, but in a way, it had been nice. Shepard promptly curled up in his arms and snuggled into him, and he was always happy to let her. But he was more than thrilled when James pulled into the small bed and breakfast that Miranda had booked for them.

They unloaded from the car, grabbed their bags, and headed into the lobby. Miranda ordered them over to the seating area, and handled the check in desk herself. Kaidan stretched out on one of the bigger chairs, and Shepard hovered over him, playing with his hair. Her fingers weaved in his dark curls, and he tilted his head up to look at her. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m admiring your haircut.”

He smiled and let her continue.

“His haircut looks good, right?” Shepard asked the rest of the group.

“Sure?” James said. “Honestly, looks the same.”

“It’s shorter,” she asserted. “It looks nice.”

Kaidan nodded. “Yeah, and she says it because she did it herself.”

“Hey, it’s a new level of our relationship if you _let_ me alter your hair.”

Their conversation was cut short when they heard Miranda raising her voice at the concierge. James stood up and went to see what was wrong.

“No, I booked two rooms! It says it here, on my itinerary,” Miranda barked at the concierge. 

Kaidan tilted his head back to watch. He’d seen Miranda negotiate for years at their job, and there was a reason she was a supervisor. She didn’t take no for an answer, and she always left with all the cards. However, this concierge at a tiny bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere, might have been her match.

After a few minutes of arguing, she came back, and the bellhop guided them to their room. Miranda didn’t say anything, and Kaidan had to assume that was really bad news. His suspicions were confirmed when Miranda went to only one door. 

“Oh boy,” he muttered.

“Not a word,” she snapped.

She opened the door for them, and they all stepped inside. Yep. One room. One queen sized bed, and a double, pushed off to the side somewhere. 

“It’s… nice,” Shepard said.

“So… they do cots or something?” James asked.

“Nope,” Miranda answered.

Kaidan nodded. “Well, okay.”

Ashley grunted. “Well, all of you guys have a person, so the only person totally losing here is _me_. I gotta share a bed with one of you sets of lovebirds.”

Shepard smirked. “So, who’s it going to be?”

 

Later that night, Ashley looked between the two beds. One massive, and the other clearly meant for two people. They’d had a nice dinner, and after a long day on the road, they’d decided to turn in early for the night to get driving again the next day. 

Kaidan laid down on the larger of the two beds and slid under the covers. Shepard joined him a moment later, and curled up against his chest. Ashley eyed between them again, and groaned. She crawled over to the other side of Kaidan and Shepard’s bed, and pulled the sheets over herself. Shepard scooted closer to Kaidan and made as much room as she could for Ashley.

Miranda - across the room - piled on another pillow on top of James’ head to cover up his snoring. It didn’t work, and another pillow just rolled off his head onto the floor. 

“Well, I tried,” she said. 

“Hey,” Ashley started, “if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be just fine as long as these two keep their hands to themselves.”

Miranda smirked. “Okay.”

“What do you think we’re going to do?” Kaidan groaned. 

“I dunno. Anything’s possible.”

“Jesus.”

“ _Goodnight,_ Ashley,” Shepard grumbled from where she was buried in Kaidan’s chest.

Ashley groaned, rolling over, and hit the lights.

 

**Day 2, thank god it’s happy hour:**

 

“How long does it take for Miranda to do her hair?” Kaidan asked, and then turned to the bartender. “Whiskey on the rocks.”

“Same,” James told the bartender. “And god, if I know. I can usually get in a mini-Netflix marathon while I wait for her. I guess that’s the cost of being perfect, huh? Besides, Shepard complains about waiting for you to get ready all the time.”

“All the time?”

“Well, _enough_ ,” James added.

The bartender brought them their drinks. Their second day on the road and hotel venture had been way more fruitful than the first. Ashley let Kaidan sit in front with James, and all the girls seemed happy in the back, and Shepard proved to be a more vocal backseat driver than Miranda was. Though, it didn’t _entirely_ shock Kaidan. In some ways, he was glad that he didn’t own a car because car rides with Shepard were rather difficult. At least no one had given her control of the radio. 

They’d sided on going out that night since there seemed to be some sort of nightlife in an otherwise sleepy town, but as to be expected, the girls were taking a bit longer to get ready. But thank god for hotel bars.

Kaidan swirled his whiskey and threw it back. He swallowed and set the glass down, waving the bartender to get him another. James watched him, probably wondering exactly what was making him so jumpy.

“So…” he started.

“Oh boy,” James said, “this will be good.”

Kaidan looked up and rolled his eyes. “That was rude.”

“Okay, okay… continue…”

Kaidan bit down on his lip, and hesitated. He didn’t know what he was nervous about. He and James were friends, and James had few complaints about who his best friend was dating. He knew that if he ever broke Shepard’s heart, he’d be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life, but it was really convenient that he didn’t have any plans to do such.

“I’m… I’m going to ask Shepard to marry me.”

James raised an eyebrow. “No shit?”

“Yeah,” Kaidan said.

“Do you know how? Or when?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet. I talked to Anderson about it before we left… you know, just to ask permission and make sure I had his blessing or whatever.”

“What’d he say?”

Kaidan shrugged. “Well, he didn’t say no. He seemed a little weirded out that I was telling him, and said I was making him feel old.”

James smiled. “Yeah, well, he _is_ old.”

“But since he’s the closest thing she’s got to parents, I figured it was for the best. But he’s happy. I think he’d sort of been waiting for it.”

“Mm, well… yeah… we all were.”

Kaidan raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Dude… Look, literally nobody is going to be shocked when it happens. You two already act like an old married couple.”

“You think Shepard’s going to expect it?”

“Well, I mean, maybe a little bit, but if you do it when she doesn’t expect it to happen, then she totally would be.”

“Yeah,” he said, “I just don’t know. We’re not a flashy couple, so nothing over the top. It doesn’t suit us.”

“What _does_ suit you, then?”

“Well… I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

“Look, if I know Shepard, I know she’d be happy no matter what, but I think she’d want it to be something unique between the two of you. She’d want something that not every other person in the world gets. Something special for the both of you.”

“Right.”

James held up his glass. “I guess a preliminary congratulations is in order then, my friend.”

Kaidan gave a smile and raised his glass too. They clinked and tossed back their drinks as Shepard wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Kaidan nearly choked on his drink, and turned around.

“What are we celebrating?”

Kaidan wiped the alcohol dripping down his chin and cleared his throat. James spoke up.

“Not dying on the road.”

Shepard raised her eyebrows and took Kaidan’s glass from his hand, sipping it. “Mm, that’s a little dull. Didn’t know you guys had such low survival expectations for this trip.”

She passed him back his drink and rested her lips on the side of his head. He slid an arm around her, and pulled her close. He thought of the conversation they’d been having just moments before she arrived, and how he’d never been more positive he wanted this in his life. 

It felt different with Owen. He knew he wanted to marry him, but the act of proposing, asking him to marry him, felt more like a contract than two people deciding to be together forever. It felt like he was negotiating. Maybe if he cut back his hours, he’d have more time with Owen. If they started looking for apartments together, they’d stay together. If they got married, it was confirmation that they weren’t drifting. This was an entirely different kind of want. The kind that made him genuinely happy to think about.

He imagined calling Shepard his “wife”, and it brought a certain kind of comfort. He thought of how stunning she’d look at their wedding, and the simple pleasure of how great she would look with a wedding ring on her finger. There were so many images that popped into his head when he envisioned their future and every single one made him happy.

“With James driving, anything is up in the air,” Kaidan said.

“Hey! You try driving next.”

“No,” Kaidan objected, quickly.

“Then shut your word-hole.”

Miranda and Ashley came into the lobby and joined the group. Miranda slid her arms around James and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He gripped her and snuggled her body against his, and whispered “I love you” to her. 

“Okay,” Ash started, “everyone ready to leave? I know _I_ am.”

 

**Four Rounds of Drinks Later:**

 

The bar they’d tracked down for the night was quite possibly the definition of a dive bar. The walls were lined with old movie posters and road signs and glowing neon signs. Drinks were cheap, and minimal, and the tables were vaguely sticky and suspicious. And… it was karaoke night.

Miranda was beginning to like these kinds of nights out. She hadn’t had friends quite like her current group before, and each time they all went it out, she went home feeling fuzzy and content. She left their outings feeling _at_ home. 

She watched from the girl’s table as James and Kaidan ordered them all another round. She could tell the boys were beginning to get really drunk, but neither of them were particularly rowdy or disruptive, thankfully. It showed in that James was louder, and speaking in Spanish a bit more, sometimes slipping between languages, but in a way Miranda could still follow. She’d been forcing him to take sips of her glass of water, and passing him peanuts from the table, which he continued to eat.

Shepard was doing the same for Kaidan, who was just beginning to get sleepy and make _way_ less sense. He’d been leaning his head against Shepard’s shoulder, and she affectionately played with his hair.

“They’re going to have a hell of a headache tomorrow,” Shepard groaned.

Miranda rolled her eyes. “I know. I am _not_ looking forward to it.”

Ashley sipped her beer and smiled. “Hey, you guys chose to be with them. It’s your problem to take care of them.”

The boys returned with another round of drinks, and put their arms around their respective partners. James softly brushed his thumb against the exposed skin on Miranda’s shoulder and slid her chair closer to his. She passed her glass of water his way, and he took a long sip of it before going to grab his beer. Miranda cupped his cheek and tilted his face her way.

“Still feeling okay?”

“Feeling good, sweet heart,” he slurred.

She nodded. “Uh huh. Enjoy it now because you sure as hell won’t in the morning.”

He pulled her into a long, tender kiss, one that made Shepard whisper an “aw” under her breath, and snuggle in with Kaidan a bit closer. James pulled away and tried to peck her nose, but missed. She smiled nonetheless.

“You know what this night needs?” James fumbled out.

“What?” Kaidan enthusiastically asked.

“Karaoke. Come on, this same dude has gotten up to work his way through the Frank Sinatra discography like eight times. I wanna cut him off before he hits ‘Send in the Clowns’.”

Shepard raised her eyebrows. “You’d do karaoke?”

James looked at his beer again. “I mean, hell yeah.”

“Well, you could probably get Shepard and Kaidan to. They got their flirt on last time they did karaoke together.”

Shepard and Kaidan exchanged a fond glance, and he gripped her hand tighter. But Shepard shook her head.

“I’m not singing tonight.”

Kaidan sat up straight in his seat. “Well, _I’ll_ do karaoke with James.”

“Oh no,” Shepard muttered.

“Hey!” Kaidan said. “I’m good. I used to be in a band, you know.”

Ashley raised her eyebrows. “Well, he’s wasted. Kaidan would never say he was a good singer aloud unless he had no fucking clue what he was saying.”

James waved over one of the waiters with a karaoke book. Kaidan slid over to James’ side of the table and the two started bouncing off songs, but without naming them, as if it were some kind of big secret to keep. Finally, they wrote it down and passed it to the waiter. The girls all watched as the boys got up and brought their drinks onstage with them. Ashley pulled out her phone and started filming. Shepard rested her hand on top of Ash’s and shook her head.

“Please, no videos of this. It’s going to be bad enough.”

 

**The Morning After:**

 

Kaidan rolled over in bed and groaned. His head felt like it was a hundred pounds, and his entire body ached. He felt it in his knees and stomach, mostly, and had to worry whether or not he’d been hit by a truck in the middle of the night. He felt fingers weaving through his hair, gently stroking he back of his head. He opened his eyes just enough to make out that he was resting on Shepard’s chest, her hands in his hair, and she had the blankets wrapped around him tightly.

“Morning, sleepy.”

He grunted in response. He gripped her tighter, and she let out a soft laugh. 

“I know, you had a rough night.”

“What happened?”

“Six shots of tequila and five beers. And that wasn’t counting whatever you drank with James before at the hotel bar.”

He moaned again. “Did I do anything dumb?”

Shepard was quiet.

He looked up again. “Did I do anything dumb?”

She shrugged. “I mean… just a slightly vulgar and inappropriate rendition of ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ with James…”

He paused, and pulled the covers over his head. Shepard laughed and rubbed his back. 

“It’s okay. I made Ashley delete the video. And we’re ditching town.”

“But you _saw_ me do it. How could you still want to be with me after that?” he grumbled.

“Aw,” she said, digging him out from under the covers and kissed his head. “It wasn’t _that_ bad. Besides… now I know I’ve seen you at your worst. Everything is uphill from here. I mean… mostly nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“And James?” he asked.

“Oh, James absolutely embarrassed himself more than you did.”

“Thank god.”

Shepard wiggled her way under the sheets as well and cupped his face. She pressed a few kisses to his forehead.

“Come on, babe. We gotta get up and hit the road. I’ll help you get ready.”

Kaidan sat up in bed as she climbed out, and quickly passed a fresh cup of coffee to him. He breathed it in, and it smelled stale, but amazing nonetheless. He took a long sip and it tasted like the best coffee in the world, if the best coffee in the world was burnt and cheap as hell.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

She smiled. “Of course.”

He finished the coffee and set the mug on the nightstand. Shepard helped him climb out of bed and stumble into the bathroom with her. She was still in her pajamas herself, hair unkempt and not a drop of makeup on her face. They brushed their teeth standing next to one another in the mirror, and that was when Kaidan noticed they were alone. It was something he’d started to miss on their trip - the lack of alone time. 

When they’d gone on vacation a few months ago, it had been an entirely them. They’d had their own room, with a giant bed, and a luxurious jacuzzi. There was no lack of time to be alone, and plenty of instances where they could strip off each other’s clothing and get tangled in the sheets. Kaidan was more than aware that sex far from defined their relationship, but god did he miss being completely alone with her.

Shepard spit out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth just after he did, and he rested his hands on her waist. She looked up and met his eyes in the mirror. He pressed his lips to the back of her neck and squeezed her closer to his body. She giggled and turned so his lips could meet hers.

“I missed the alone time too,” she said.

He nodded and slid his hands to the sides of her face. She kissed him harder and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her fingers teased with his shirt, and slowly eased it off his body. His hands wandered underneath the fabric of her sleep shorts (really, _his_ boxers), and she sighed his name.

“We should shower,” she said.

He nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

They carefully eased the rest of their clothing off, and ran the water, still kissing and pressed against one another. Finally, they stepped under the water. It rained down on them and made it harder to grip tightly andhang onto one another, but neither of them were complaining. Kaidan smoothed his hands down her body, cupping her breasts and curves along the way, reaching her waist as she pressed against him, ebbing and flowing as they kissed.

She nodded for him to continue, and he obliged. Damp hands and bodies tugged at one another, hungry and desperate for more of each other’s touch. There were no snarky comments every time they showed affection for one another, no knowing they had to stop because they had an audience. Just the two of them… Jane and Kaidan, soaking wet and making up for lost time, and no complaints were heard.

“Mm,” he muttered after, breathless and still coming down from his high. “Some cure for a hangover.”

“Oh, I bet,” she laughed and kissed him again. “But it’s time to shower.”

He reached behind him for the soap and shampoo. He glanced down and squinted. “Wait, I can’t read that.”

“Ginger lemongrass. Aw, you’re going to smell like a lemongrass today.”

He smiled. “A lemongrass? You know the ‘a’ isn’t necessary.”

She squeezed a handful of shampoo into her hands and rubbed it through his hair.

“Shut up, and let me wash your hair.”

 

**Day 3, hitting the road:**

 

“K, I think its your turn to drive,” James said.

Kaidan looked up from his third coffee and raised his eyebrows. “No.”

Shepard shot him a glance. “I mean… you were giving him shit about his driving the other day.”

Kaidan groaned. “Okay, but like… it was a joke?”

Ashley looked over at Kaidan, and he swallowed nervously. Shepard was beginning to think there was something they knew that she did not. Shepard intercepted the look and Kaidan just went back to sipping his coffee. James looked hesitant as well, considering it was his car that would meet a fateful end if Kaidan decided to drive and destroy the car.

James sipped his coffee very hesitantly. “We sure we want to do this?”

“I mean, it is only fair,” Miranda said. “We’ve all driven a little. Except you.”

He shrugged. “Maybe you guys shouldn’t have volunteered then.”

Shepard rolled her eyes. “Come on, just do it. Take the pressure off for a short period of time.”

Kaidan swallowed and looked back at the parking lot through the motel window. James’ meager chariot sat waiting for them to buckle up and hit the road again, and in the entire time they’d been traveling, Kaidan had somehow dodged having to drive. Shepard knew he didn’t have a car, but not many people in their city did. There was no need. But surely he knew _how_ to drive.

Finally, Kaidan spoke up. “ _Fine_. I’ll drive. Everyone get in the car.”

The group moved toward the parking lot and loaded into the car. Shepard had driven last, and Kaidan moved the seat backward dramatically in order to fit. He made a scene of it as well… go figure. He slid in and James passed him the keys from the back seat. Shepard loaded into the passenger seat and looked up at Kaidan as he nervously stuck the keys in the ignition.

“Never had you pegged for a nervous driver,” she said, leaning back.

“Psh, I’m not nervous.”

She raised her eyebrows and watched him pull back and put the car into reverse. The car jerked backwards, and he looked out the back window to back out. It took longer than any normal person would have taken. Halfway out of the spot, Shepard stopped him. 

“You don’t know how to drive.”

He perked up immediately and shook his head. “Okay, _now_ you’re just being ridiculous.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know how to drive.”

“Yo, do you really not know how to drive?” James asked. “And you were gonna try? With all of us in the car? In _my_ car?”

Kaidan put the car back in park. “Okay, well, you guys _pushed_ it.”

“You could have just said it,” Ashley muttered. 

There as a moment of quiet, before Shepard spoke up again.

“So you… really don’t know how to drive?”

Kaidan raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, I technically _do_ know how to drive and I do have a valid license, but it’s been a _really long time._ ”

“What?”

“It’s been like six or seven years. Wait, maybe more. Okay, to be fair, it might have been since high school.”

“Jesus,” Miranda muttered. 

“We almost died,” James added.

“I’m getting out! I’m getting out of the driver’s seat!” Kaidan said, opening the door and swapping with James. Nobody objected.

 

**Day 3, at the Expo:**

 

Shepard thought that she would have felt more out of place wearing a dress to a fitness expo. She wasn’t sure what to make of it herself, since this was the first she’d gone to. But she was happy to look nice, schmooze, and spend time with the people she loved most.

It’d taken them a bit longer than anticipated to get here, but once they arrived, Anderson quickly set them all up in their rooms - their _own_ rooms. Kaidan and Shepard had their own hotel room with a big bed for them to share and snuggle up in at the end of the night, and Ashley was content to share a room with James and Miranda. With her own bed this time.

“So, old man,” she said, leaning up against the bar with Anderson, “what do you need me to do? Who do I gotta show off to? Should I go bench press some buff guy while wearing heels?”

He smiled. “Not too many people. I wouldn’t want one of them to snag you and steal you away from me. We’d lose our best trainer.”

James shimmied his way to the bar and frowned. “Hey, watch what you say there, Anderson. The wrong person overhears, and they might go looking for new work.”

Shepard rubbed her hand on top of James’ gelled mohawk and pulled an arm around him. “Oh please, you wouldn’t ditch me. Not on your life.”

James tugger her closer as well. “Never.”

“And if either of you want to look at a raise or promotion in the next year or so, you won’t ditch me either,” Anderson finished.

Shepard nodded. “I think we’re both pretty happy exactly where we are.”

“Hell yeah,” James agreed, “but if someone wants to fund upgrading the elliptical machines, I’m not going to stop them.”

“Well, Vega,” Anderson said, “get a few more drinks in you, and knock yourself out.”

James turned around to the bar and ordered Miranda a glass of wine as she returned from the bathroom. He passed it to her and slipped his arm around her waist. He pulled her into a long, tender kiss and cupped her cheek with his other hand. Shepard smiled and looked away to keep them from having much of an audience, but it was no secret she was just so elated to see her best friend happy and so completely in love.

“You look gorgeous,” James said.

“And you look very handsome.”

“Speaking of,” Anderson said, nudging Shepard, “where’s your better half?”

James snorted. “Since we learned Kaidan doesn’t know how to drive, I don’t know if ‘better half’ is applicable anymore.”

“We’ll work on it,” Shepard assured him. “And last I checked, he was in the bathroom fixing his hair. Per usual.”

A few moments later, she felt gentle hands on her waist, and Kaidan press a soft kiss to the side of her neck. 

“I thought you fell in,” she teased.

He laughed, low and sweet, in her ear. “I got lost.”

“Thank _god_ we didn’t let you drive.”

She turned around and looped one of her fingers through his belt loop and looked up at him. He looked damn handsome all dressed up for the event. He’d put on a pair of black slacks and a dark blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. She eased her hands up his arms, giving his biceps a light squeeze.

“See? You fit in just fine.”

“Mm,” he teased, “I sure did bring the gun show along. Hey, are you doing anything right now?”

She smiled and shook her head. “No, why?”

“I want to go somewhere with you.”

She nodded. “Okay. As long as we don’t have to drive there.”

He tried to frown, but a smile slipped through anyway. “Deal.”

Shepard took his hand and let him guide her out into the lobby, and out to the back of the hotel area. the doors opened up to a gorgeous, lavishly decorated garden area. String lights were strung above them, and the trees were covered in them. A single well-lit gazebo sat at the middle of the small koi ponds and lit trees, and he guided her toward it.

“So this is where you got lost?”

He nodded. “Yeah, more or less.”

She laughed under her breath. “Loser.”

“Hey, come on, I’m trying to give us a nice moment alone here.”

He helped her up the steps and to the gazebo, where he quickly pulled her into his arms. 

“Are we allowed to be here?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but it was simply too pretty to not take the most gorgeous girl in the world to.”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and pressed her forehead to his. She hated heels like all hell, but she did love how much easier it was to kiss him in them. Even just a few inches made bridging their nearly foot height difference so much easier.

She pulled him into a kiss, soft and loving. Her fingers curled around his slightly crunchy, gelled curls and nipped at his bottom lip. He breathed her name against her skin, and slowly eased away.

“You know what we’ve never done?” he began, eyes still closed, tongue tasting her still on his lips.

“What’s that?”

“Slow danced.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Okay? And that’s something you want to do?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. It just dawned on me. We’ve danced together, but it was at a night club, and that wasn’t really… slow.”

She smiled. “That’s true. But you want to slow dance now?”

“I said I don’t know,” he laughed. 

“Sort of a thing reserved for like… weddings. And we don’t know anybody getting married.”

“Well, maybe us one day.”

She glanced up at him, studying his expression. It was one of knowing, like he had ideas maybe she didn’t know about. There was a sweetness to it that felt special and reserved for only the most special thoughts. He seemed content, happy, and completely genuine in his suggestion. She pulled him closer to her and rested her head against his chest, allowing him to gently sway her to the absent music.

“Maybe us one day,” she added. “I’m glad you decided to come.”  
“You know what? Me too,” he added, pulling her in for another kiss. “And think of it this way, the ride back is going to be _way_ better.”

She looked up at him. “And why’s that?”

“Because now you all know not to ask me to drive.”

She smiled. “Yeah, however, parallel parking practice starts the second we get back.

He cupped her cheek and smiled. “Well, I think I can live with that. Plus, I hear my teacher is kind of cute.”

“Kind of?” she repeated.

He slid a hand to the back of her head and eased her back into his arms, resting her head against his chest. He softly patted her head.

“Yeah, kind of. Now shh… we were enjoying a nice quiet moment.”

She sighed and slid her arms around him tighter, and didn’t feel the need to object again.


End file.
